Plastics: Downturn Drags Volumes Lower

Downturn Drags Volumes Lower

Economic jitters and its effects on consumer spending have plastics producers revising demand forecasts downward and looking for ways to cut costs. Some producers are also pressured by capacity coming online in the Mideast, which will take a slice out of dwindling global demand growth. North American plastics makers have already had to adjust to slower domestic demand growth. The output of many important plastics end-use industries in the U.S., including aerospace, construction, and motor vehicles, fell as a result of the credit crisis and housing slump, says...